Washing apparatus



Jane 3, 1939., 5 STODDARD 2,142,924

WASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

M M M I Ihventor": I Edgar S. Stoddard? H is Attorney.

3, 1939. E. s. STODDARD 2,142,924

WASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2'7, 195'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor: Edgar- .5. Stoddard IS Attorney.

Jan. 3, 1939.

E. s. STODDARD 2,142,924

WASHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 27, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet s Inventor. Edgar- S Stoddard b Ja -AA is Attorney.

Patented Jan. 3, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,142,924 WASHING arma ros Edgar s. Stoddard, Berwyn, n1, asslgnor to Edison General Electric Appliance Company, Inc., a corporation or New York Application' August 2'1,

'1 Claims.

This invention relates to washing apparatus, more particularly to dishwashing apparatus, and it has for its object the provision of an improved device of this character.

This invention has particular application to household dishwashing apparatus wherein a cleansing liquid, such as hot water, is circulated in the washing vat through dish supporting racks by means of suitable power-driven means, such as a motor driven impeller, and contemplates the provision of improved control means for washing apparatus of this character. It is especially applicable to washing apparatus control means of the character described and claimed in the copending applications of Forrest A. Walker and Gustave F. Maisch, Serial No. 86,396, filed June 20, 1936, and or L. A. Kempton, Serial No, 161,251, filed August 2'7; 1937, and both assigned to the same assignee as this invention.

As described in these applications, suitable manually operable controimeans are provided for the impeller motor and for the liquid supply valve. Means are provided for latching the supply valve in its open position when it has been moved to this position by the control member, and further, for automatically releasing the locking means to permit the valve to close when a predetermined quantity of liquid has been supplied to the vat. This invention contemplates the provision of improved means for releasing the supply valve to permit it to close independently of the operation of the automatic releasing means.

For a 'more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation of dishwashing apparatus embodying this invention, portions being broken away so as to illustrate certain details of construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation illustrating a portion of control apparatus for the washing apparatus of Fig. 1 embodying this invention; Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views similar to Fig. 2, but having parts broken away so as to illustrate certain details of construction and illustrating certain parts of the control apparatus in difierent operative conditions; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through the line 55 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary views illustrating parts corresponding to eertainparts shown in Figs. 2, 3 and a, but of modified form; Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken through the line 8-6 01 Fig. '7; Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating a portion at the control apparatus shown in Figs. 6 and 7;

1931, Serial No. 161,260

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating certain parts of the control apparatus and their relation to the impeller driving motor, and the automatic means for releasing the supply valve; Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are fragmentary views illustrating my in- 5 vention as applied to a control of modified form, showing the parts in difierent operative conditions; Figs. 14.,and 15 are elevations showing certain parts of the control of Figs. 11 to 13 and in difierent operative conditions; and Fig. 16 isv a 10 diagrammatic view illustrating certain parts of the control apparatus of Figs. 11 to 15 and their relationship to the impeller driving motor and the means for automatically releasing the liquid supply valve. i 15 Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5 in elusive, this invention has been shown in one form as applied to dishwashing apparatus of the character described and claimed in the above-mentioned Walker and Maisch application. As 20 shown, the apparatus comprises a casing or cabinet lll enclosing a suitable washing vat or chamber II. The vat it provided with a suitable cover 12 which may be elevated on hinges l3 whereby access can be had to the interior of the vat.

It is to be understood that suitable removable openwork dish-supporting baskets or racks will be provided in the lower and upper portions of the vat. Only the lower rack I4 is shown. This rack and also the upper rack which cooperates with it preferably will be of the construction described and claimed in the United States Patent No. 2,035,625 to Forrest A Walker, dated March 21, 1936.

The bottom wall of the vat H, as shown, is provided with inclined walls 55 which slope downwardly toward the center where they terminate in an opening it arranged centrally of the vat.

In the lower portion of the vat it above the opening I6 is a suitable impeller l1 arranged to rotate on an axis substantially coaxial with the central vertical axis of the vat and the opening I6. The impeller ii is operated by means of an electric motor l8 mounted below the bottom wall of the vat and having its shaft Isa extending through the opening it and operably connected with the impeller. The motor i8 is supported by a metallic frame It, whichis mounted below the bottom wall of the vat. 50

A conduit 20 connected with a suitable source of cleansing liquid supply, such as a hot water tank (not shown) is connected with a supply conduit 2! that is connected with the vat through a suitable valve 22. A second manually operable valve 23 is provided. but this valve normally will be in its open position, the control of the water to the vat normally being controlled solely by the valve 22. The valve 22 is of the self-closing type. That is, when the valve has been opened and released, it will move to its closed position automatically. The valve is provided with a spring (not shown) which functions to move it to its closed position.

The liquid supply valve 22 is moved to its open position by means of a manually operable control knob 24. This knob 24 is keyed to an operating shaft 28 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 28 provided for it in a control panel 21. Also mounted on the shaft 25 is a lever 28. this lever, however, being freely rotatable on the shaft. The lever 28 is connected by means of a link 28 with an operating lever 38 (Fig. 1) for the valve 22. Rigidly secured to the shaft is a dog 3|. The dog 3| has a pair of legs 32, the extremities of which are turned outwardly so as to straddle the lever 28. The legs 32 are spaced apart sufliciently to provide for some freedom of movement of the lever 28 relative to the dog 3|. It will be observed that when the knob 24 and hence the dog 3| are moved in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. l-4, from the position of Figs, 1, 2 and 3 to the position of Fig. 4, the lever 28 will also be moved in a clockwise direction to depress the rod 29 and the lever 38 and thereby open the valve 22. Conversely, when the knob 24 and dog 3| are moved in the reverse direction, the lever 28 is moved to permit the valve 22 to close.

The drain valve 33 is operated by means of a suitable control knob 34 similar to the knob 24. The knob 34 is rigidly secured to an operating shaft 35 also mounted in the control panel 21. An operating lever 38 is rigidly secured to the shaft, and is connected to a lever 31 (Fig. 1) by means of a link 38. The parts are so arranged that when the knob 34 occupies its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the drain valve will be held in its open position, whereas, when the knob is moved in a clockwise direction to its position of Fig. 4, it moves the lever 38 to operate the lever 31 in a counter-clockwise direction. This movement of the lever permits the drain valve to close. When the knob is in its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the drain valve is open, the lever 38 bears against a suitable stop 33 carried by the panel. A similar stop 48 is provided on the panel for limiting the movement of the lever in a clockwise direction when the knob 34 is moved to close the drain valve. Similar stops 4| and 42 are provided on the panel to limit the movement of the supply valve lever 28 in its valve closing and opening directions respectively.

The energization of the impeller driving motor I8 is controlled by means of a switch 43 which preferably will be of the snap action type. The operating lever of the switch is moved between its controlling positions by means of a platelike lever 44 which is rigidly secured to a shaft 45 that is mounted in the control panel 21. Rigidly secured to the shaft 45 is a manually operable control knob 48. The parts are so arranged that when the knob 48 is moved in a clockwise direction from its positions of Figs. 1 and 2, it will operate the switch 43 to energize the motor l8; when it is returned to its position of these figures, it will operate the switch to deenergize the motor. As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 10, the impeller motor I8 is energized from a suitable source of electrical supply 41 through the switch 43. Also connected in the motor circuit is a snap switch the vat II.

This control means further includes a latching device 48 for locking the inlet valve in its open position, and an electromagnetic device 58 for releasing the valve when the motor load attains a predetermined magnitude. The latching device 48 comprises a latch 5| mounted on a shaft 52 which in turn is mounted in the panel 21. The latch 5| cooperates with a tooth 53 formed on the lever 28 and is biased in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, to engage the tooth by means of a spring 54. The parts are so arranged that when the knob 24 is moved to open the inlet valve, the latch engages the tooth (Fig. 4) to lock the valve in its open position.

When the knob 24 is thus moved to open the inlet valve 22, it also operates the snap action switch 48 to a second controlling position shown in Fig. 4 and in dotted lines in Fig. 10, in which position, the motor circuit-is connected through the energizing coil of the electromagnetic device 58. For this purpose, the lever 28 is mechanically connected to the operating lever 55 of the switch 48 by means of a link 58 that is rigidly secured at one end to the switch operating lever and at its opposite end is connected to the lever 28 by a pin and slot connection 51. The parts are so arranged that when the knob 24 is moved to open the valve 22, the lever 28 operates the lever 55 through the link 58 to move the snap-action switch from its position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to its position shown in Fig, 4, to connect the motor circuit through the coil of the electromagnet.

At a predetermined value in the excitation of the electromagnetic device 58, it attracts its armature 58 to engage the free end of the latch 5| to move the latch in a counter-clockwise direction and thereby release the lever 28 and the inlet valve 22, which thereupon closes.

In the operation of the device thus far de-- scribed, if it be desired to wash dishes, the dishes will be loaded in their respective racks in the vat and the cover |2 will be closed. The drain valve knob 34 will be moved to effect the closure of the drain valve, and the motor operating knob 48 will then be turned to operate the switch 43 to energize the impeller motor. Then the inlet valve knob 24 will be moved to open the supply valve 22. At the same time, it will operate the snap switch 48 to connect the motor armature circuit I through the electromagnetic device 58. It will also eil'ect the operation of the latching device 48 to hold the inlet valve open. Under these conditions, the water which flows into the vat will accumulate in the vat and willbe engaged by the impeller l1 and hurled upwardly through the dish-supporting trays. As the water continues to flow into the vat, the load imposed on the impeller and hence on its driving motor II will gradually increase. This will increase the armature current of the motor and hence the excitation of the operating coil of the electromagnet. Eventually when a predetermined quantity of water has been supplied to the vat, the excitation of the electromagnetic device will have attained a predetermined value at which it will attract its armature 58. This operation releases the latch 5| and permits the inlet valve to close and the snap switch 48 to return to its initial position to disconnect the electromagnet.

III

The dishwasher will then function to wash the dishes and will continue to do so until the motor knob 48 is operated to deenergize the motor, or until the drain valve knob 34 is operated to open the drain valve. The first operation, of course, will stop the impeller, while the latter will drain the vat.

This invention contemplates the provision of improved means for stopping the operation of the device even before the electromagnet has functioned to cut of! the water supply. For this purpose, the member 3| is provided with a cam surface 59 which is arranged when the member is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction from its position shown in Fig. 4 to engage the latching member 5| and elevate it to thereby release the lever 28 to permit the inlet valve to close. It will be observed that the legs 32 spanning the lever 28 are spaced apart sufflclently to permit the member 3| to move independently of the lever in a counter-clockwise direction for a suillcient distance to release the latch 5| before the left-hand leg 32engages the lever 28. This provides a very emcient and convenient way for stopping the inflow of water to the vat before theautomatic means has functioned to do so. After the inlet valve has been released in this manner, the motor may be deenergized by its knob 46.

As pointed out in the above-mentioned Walker and Maisch application, suitable interlocking means are provided between the water supply valve and motor control knobs 24 and 46 so that the supply valve knob cannot be operated to permit liquid to flow to the vat unless the motor knob has been operated to energize the motor E8 to operate the impeller, and moreover, the motor knob cannot be moved to deenergize the motor as long as the supply valve knob is in its position wherein the supply valve is open. The interlocking means comprises a slide locking bar. be operating between flat portions SI and 62 on the shafts and 45.

In Figs. 6, '7, 8 and 9, there is illustrated a modifled form of this invention. In this case,.the operating lever 63 controllingthe valve-operating rod 66' is not mounted for complete freedom of rotation on its operating shaft 65, but only for limited freedom of movement relative to this shaft. For this purpose, the shaft is provided with a pair of oppositely positioned flat surfaces 66, while the lever 63 is provided with a pair of oppositely positioned apertures 61, each having the shape of a portion of a sector of a circle, as.

clearly shown in Fig. 9. It will be observed that this arrangement provides for a limited free angular movement of the lever 63 relative to the shaft 65.

Rigidly mounted on the shaft is a cammember 68 having a cam surface 69 arranged to release the latch member lll which secures the lever 63 in its position shown in Figs. I'ancl 9.

In the operation of this form of the invention, when the shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction from its position of Fig. 6 to its position of Figs. '7 and'9, the latch it operates as before to lock the lever in its valve opening position. If when the lever is in this position the shaft 85 be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, it will move the cam member 68 in this direction independently of the lever 85 and engage the latch it to cause it to disengage the lever 63 which thereupon is free to move to close the valve, upon continued movement of the shaft 55 in the counter-clockwise direction.

leased by means of an electromagnet (not shown) hatzihng an armature H arranged to engage the Figs. 11-16 inclusive illustrate the latter form of the invention as applied to a modified form of control which forms the subject matter of the above mentioned copending application of Leslie 0;

A. Kempton, Serial No. 161,251.

As described in detail in this copending application, this control comprises a control shaft 12 arranged to operate a switch 13, which controls the energizing circuit of the impeller motor and or plate 18 which is mounted on the operating shaft 12. As shown, the lever 18 has a wide key slot '19 cooperating with the key on the shaft so as to provide for limited freedom of angular movementof the plate 18relative to the shaft.

When the shaft 12 is in its position shown in Fig. 11, the inlet valve is closed, the impeller motor is deenergized and the electromagnet i4 is deenergized. However, when it is moved from its position of Fig. 11 in a clockwise direction to its position of Fig. 12, the impeller motor is energized through the switch contacts M which is in its closed position as shown in this figure. When the shaft I2 is moved from its position of Fig. 12 to its position of Fig. 13, it moves the slide 17 to its position of Fig. 15 to open the inlet valve, and it will be locked in this position by means of a latching member 83; and moreover, switch contact 8| will be opened so that the electromagnet 14 will be connected in the energizing circuit of the impeller motor.. As before, when the predetermined quantity of water has been supplied to the vat, the electromagnet 14 will release the latch 83 to'permit the inlet valve to close. When the latch 83 releases the plate 18 to permit the inlet yalve to close, the control knob 14a is automatically moved to a controlling position in which the switches 8| and 82 are closed, all as fully described in the above-mentioned Kempton" application, Serial No. 161,251. This maintains an energizing circuit for the impeller motor through switch 8| and shorts out the releasing electromagnet N.

In order to manually release the inlet valve to permit it to close before the electromagnet has done so automatically, a releasing dog 84 is rigidly secured to the shaft 72. This dog is so arranged that when the shaft [2 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction from the position of Fig. l5,

it elevates the latch 83 and thereby releases the plate 18 to permit the inlet valve to close.

The releasing dog 84 and the plate l8 are biased in opposite directions by means of compression spring 85 connecting these members together. This spring holds these members in the same angular relationto each other when they are moved from their position in Fig. 14 to the position in which the latch 83 engages the plate 18. When the shaft 12 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction to release the latch the spring 85 is further tensioned to force the plate 18 against the latch until released.

The drain valve in this case is operated by means of an operating rod 86 which in turn is op-' Gil erated by a lever 11 mounted upon a drain valve operating shaft ll.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood of course that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Washing apparatus comprising a vat, a liquid supply valve for said vat biased to its closed position, a control member rotatable to a controlling position to open said valve, means for locking said valve in its open position, poweroperated means for circulating liquid in said vat, control means operably associated with said liquid circulating means so as to respond to a condition of operation thereof that varies as the quantity of liquid in said vat varies, said control means controlling said locking means to release said valve automatically to shut off the liquid when a predetermined quantity has been supplied to said vat, and means operated by rotation of said control member to another controlling position to release said latch independently of said control means.

2. Washing apparatus comprising a vat, a liquid circulating impeller in said vat, a driving motor for said impeller, a liquid supply valve for said vat biased to its closed position, a control member for moving said valve to its open position by movement of the member in one direction, a latch for holding said valve in said open position, control means for said latch operably associated with said motor to respond to the load imposed thereon to release said valve when said load attains a predetermined magnitude, and means operable to release said latch by movement of said control member in the opposite direction.

3. Washing apparatus comprising a vat, a liquid supply valve for said vat biased to its closed position, liquid circulating means in said vat, a motor for driving said circulating means, a shaft, means for rotating said shaft in opposite directions, means operated by rotation thereof in one direction for opening said supply valve, a latch for locking said valve in its open position, means operated responsively to the load imposed on said motor automatically releasing said latch when said load attains a predetermined magnitude, and a releasing dog on said shaft operable by rotation thereof in the opposite direction to release said valve independently of said automatic releasing means.

4. Washing apparatus comprising a vat, a liquid supply valve for said vat biased to its closed position, an impeller in said vat for circulating liquid in the vat, an electric motor for driving said impeller, a shaft, an operating lever for said valve connected therewith and mounted for free rotation with respect to said shaft, a member rigidly secured to said shaftghaving a leg arranged to engage said lever when said shaft is moved in one direction to move the lever so as to open the valve, means for rotating said shaft in said one direction to move said member to opensaid valve,

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a latch for locking said lever in its valve open position, means responsive to the armature current of said motor for automatically releasing said latch when said armature current attains a predetermined high magnitude, and means on said member for engaging said latch to release it when said shaft and member are moved in the reverse direction relative to said lever.

5. Washing apparatus comprising a vat, a liquid supply valve for said vat biased to said closed position, a liquid circulating impeller in the vat, an electric motor for driving said impeller, a shaft, a control lever for said valve on said shaft and movable freely through a limited are relative to said shaft, means operated by said lever when said shaft is rotated in one direction for opening said valve, a latch arranged to engage said lever to lock the valve in its open position, means responsive to the armature current of said motor for automatically releasing said latch to permit the valve to close when said armature current attains a predetermined magnitude, and a releasing dog rigidly secured to said shaft arranged to engage said latch to release it when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction a limited distance relative to said lever.

6. Washing apparatus comprising a vat, a liquid supply valve for said vat, means biasing said valve to its closed position, an impeller in said vat for circulating liquid in the vat, an electric motor for driving said impeller, a shaft, a control lever for said valve on said shaft movable freely thereon through a limited are relative to the shaft, means operated by said lever when said shaft is rotated in one direction for opening said valve against said biasing means, a latch for engaging said lever to lock said valve in its open position, means operated responsively to the armature current of said motor for releasing said latch when said armature current attains a predetermined high value, a releasing dog rigidly secured to said shaft arranged to engage said latch to release it when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction and relative to said lever, anda spring connecting said releasing dog with said lever and biasing said releasing dog in the valve opening direction and the lever in the valve closing direction.

N Washing apparatus comprising a vat, a liquid supply valve for said vat, means biasing said valve to its closed position, an impeller in said vat for circulating liquid in the vat, an electric motor for driving said impeller, a shaft, a control lever for said valve on said shaft movable freely thereon through a limited are relative to the shaft, means operated by said lever when said shaft is rotated in one direction for opening said valve against said biasing means, a latch for engaging said lever to lock said valve in its open position, means operated responsively to the armature current of said motor for releasing said latch when said armature current attains a predetermined high value, a releasing dog rigidly secured to said shaft arranged to engage said latch to release it when said shaft is rotated in the opposite direction and relative to said lever, and a spring biasing said dog in said valve opening direction.

EDGAR S. STODDARD. 

